About Black Bag Films!

Black Bag Films is a Chicago area based production company featuring Michael Azzariti, Director / Cameraman with experience in product, food, liquids, high speed cinematography, tabletop and people. Black Bag Films Studio features a compact insert stage with an attached shop and kitchen, perfect for smaller projects. And Black Bag Films is equally at home on location or on one of Chicago's rental stages such as Essanay or AGLS.

Solidly grounded in the film making tradition, Michael Azzariti brings his trained eye to current digital acquisition and fully embraces the leading edge of camera technology. From RED Digital Cinema's latest offering, or the fastest Vision Research Phantom Camera, to the handiest DSLR from Nikon or Canon, beautiful images are In The Bag.

Michael studied Studio Arts and Film / Photography at the University of Illinois and worked as commercial photographer and theatrical lighting designer after graduation. But his passion for all things mechanical and his experience in the sculpture studio led him to a career as a special effects rigger in Chicago. Known as the EfxGuy, Michael served national clients under the company name of Azzariti Productions Special Effects until the end of 2006.

With a reputation as the one of the foremost effects riggers in the Mid-West, Michael Azzariti helped develop the popular style of effects shots for table top and food commercials. Working with noted directors such as Peter Elliott, David Deahl, Mark Klein and Tom Ryan, Michael collaborated closely with them to achieve remarkable moving images for national and international campaigns. Regular collaboration with these talented directors led to the development of his own unique visual style, while developing his leadership abilities and expansive network of production professionals.

Since 2007, Black Bag Films Production Company has been dedicated to creating exciting images, including effects shots for post production and complete spots for broadcast, web and live event projection. By blending a technical expertise with an artist's creativity, Michael is creating crisp, upbeat footage for today's audiences.